5 Reasons Why You Must Carve A Pumpkin This Year

A jack-o'-lantern is a carved pumpkin, or turnip, associated chiefly with the holiday of Halloween, and was named after the phenomenon of strange light flickering over peat bogs, called will-o'-the-wisp or jack-o'-lantern. In a jack-o'-lantern, the top is cut off to form a lid, and the inside flesh then scooped out; an image, usually a monstrous face, is carved out of the pumpkin's rind to expose the hollow interior. To create the lantern effect, a light source is placed within before the lid is closed. This is traditionally a flame or electric candle, though pumpkin lights featuring various colors and flickering effects are also marketed specifically for this purpose. It is common to see jack-o'-lanterns on doorsteps and otherwise used as decorations during Halloween.

5 Reasons Why You MUST Carve a Pumpkin This Year:

1. Yummy yummy pumpkin seeds! Roast them up and have them on your next salad or stir fry.

2. A classic and fun way to get OFF the computer or TV screen and do something from your childhood or create new tradition with your little ones.

3. Baked pumpkin (for soups and salads). If you carve your pumpkins, enjoy them for a night or two and then use them quickly, you can slice them up and roast the pumpkins to make a delicious pumpkin puree.

4. Facials! Yep! Use a little bit of the pumpkin flesh for a delicious pumpkin facial. The enzymes in pumpkins are used heavily in expensive facial products these days, so why not use them fresh from the plant?

5. Connect with your community. There is a sense of connection that happens when you get that scary ol' jack o lantern out and on your porch that we are missing these days.